Guy Ritchie to be honoured by 2017 Raindance Film Festival

One of the most idiosyncratic British directors of the past two decades, Guy Ritchie, is to be honoured by this year’s Raindance Film Festival.

The director of films including Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Sherlock Holmes and the recent King Arthur is to be given the Raindance Auteur Award, at an event later this month, ahead of this year’s Festival, which takes place at the end of September.

Raindance says the honour will recognise Ritchie’s “achievements in filmmaking and ongoing contribution to the film industry.” In a statement, the organisers say the director is “an accomplished filmmaker who balances the art of telling cinematic character driven stories featuring humour, intricate plots, memorable dialogue, fresh visuals and unforgettable characters.”

The Raindance founder, Elliot Grove, said Ritchie had “become a prominent figure in film, breathing new life into the British film industry when he exploded onto the scene with his cult crime comedies.”